Omaha daily bee., 1887-03-30
The New Departure.


In the dark ages when comet made
its appearance in the sky, terrible calam.
tiles were always predicted by charla.
tains who professed to be endowed with
supernatural powers and to hold com.
munion with the Prince of Evil. Ter.
rorized by these omens and prophesies of
impending disaster the ignorant and su-
perstitious masses of those times natu
rally became victims Of designing i'm
posture. Believing that the world was
about 10 come to an end, credulous and
frenzied people were readily induced to
part with what little they had of worldly
goods and chattels.
The prophesics of woe, war and disas-
ter which designing impostors have been
spreading broadcast, as sure to overtake
this country when the new interstate
commerce bill comes into effect, are a
striking reminder of the charlatan as.
trologer who periodically tcrrorized the
people of Europe 600 years ago.
We do not believe that the interstate
commerce law, which goes into effect
April 1st, will plunge the country into
chaos and ruin, even if the railroad man.
ayers should do their worst in misinter-
preting the law.
The new departure in railway traffic
may for time create some friction. 1t
is but natural that any very radical
change in business methods by public
carriers should, for time, meet with
dlsfavor among shippers, who have here
tofore enjoyed rebates and special rate
privileges, which can no longer be con.
ceded. The same, in a measure, is true
OF localities that have been favored
| to the detriment of their rivals. But the
great mass of shippers and patrons of
railways will find the new departure ad.
vantageous, providing the railroads and
other public carriers do not conspire to
make the law odious by general raid
on the patrons along the line.
With all the publicity given by the
press to the interstate commerce law,
its provisions are not generally under
stood and some of them have become
subjects of much dispute and varied in.
depreciation. From the very outset the
railway managers and the railway press
have sought to create false impressions
about the intent and scope of the law.
The powers of the Interstate commission
have been magnifed and distorted, and
the attempt to operate railways under
congressional regulation has been pro-
nounced an absolute impossihlity.
The regulation of interstate railroads
is an untried experiment, but it is a re-
form that could no longer be put off.
The prevailing system of arbitrary rates,
rebates and pools had become intoier.
able. 1t must give way to new system
Of transportation based upon fair deal
ing and equal tolls for everybody for
equal service performed.
The main features of the new departure
are publicity of rates, abolition of rebates
and special rates, and prohibition OF
freight pooling. These alone will COM
pensate the country for any temporary
arrangement of established channels Of
trade. Publicity of rates and prohibition
of rebates and secret con ncesslons docs
away with jug-handle favoritism and
jugglery among freight agents in the in.
had become a dangerous source of favor
itism and corruption. Its abolition
emanclpates thousands of merchants and
manufacturers who have heretofore been
degraded by the iron yoke which they
were compelled to wear. The breaking
up of freight pooling will, in measure,
bring about competition which hereto.
fore has always been destroyed by legal
lzed combination.
The commission itself is mere ap.
pendage to railway regulation. Its
powers and duties are very restricted.
The cardinal points Of the Interstate
commerce regulation are firmly imbedded
in the plain letter of the law, which
neither commission nor court can over.